Huayu started as a substitute director

Chapter 743 From Depression to Prosperity

This year's Macau Film Festival is being held at the Sands Cotai Central Hotel, one of the world's largest hotels. From a distance, the hotel's glass curtain wall appears golden, like glittering gilded gold, giving it a magnificent and grand look.

Not far from the hotel plaza, there is an Eiffel Tower, a 1:2 scale replica of the Eiffel Tower in Paris, standing 162 meters tall and possessing an artistic feel.

This place is not open to the public and tickets are not sold; it is specifically for the Macau Film Festival.

The Macau authorities have really gone all out. This hotel has over 4,000 guest rooms and 11 banquet halls the size of basketball courts, meaning many of them are essentially empty.

Of course it's all worth it. Fans from all over the country, Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan, and Southeast Asia come here.

The surrounding businesses have taken off, and there are a lot of consumers. People who can travel this far to follow celebrities are people with a solid economic foundation and the ability to spend money.

At this moment, the square in front of the hotel was filled with all kinds of movie light boxes, including "Operation Mekong", "The Mermaid", "Mr. Six", and "The Great Wall", all of which are very popular and worth watching this year.

The square was bustling with people, and volunteers carrying national and regional flags were also seen moving around.

On the building in the square, there was a large LED screen playing the patriotic film "Operation Mekong" as the opening film.

There is a long red carpet in the middle of the square, which extends all the way to the top of the steps and into the hotel.

The red carpet was lined with entertainment reporters from mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan. The reporters were numerous, forming layers upon layers, all carrying long lenses and cameras, taking pictures of the celebrities who stopped in the middle as they passed by.

They were dressed in flamboyant clothes, they were bare-chested, and they were confident and poised.

At the very top of the steps, Fang Hong and Liu Tianxian were being interviewed by mainstream reporters.

"I am very disappointed by this. As a global public figure, Hendrik Willem Van Loon's every move represents the image of this nation, yet he completely disregards the feelings of the people and tries every means to use his influence to have disgraced artists appear on screen. I personally feel very indignant."

Of course, he's right as a father, but as an anti-drug ambassador and a well-known actor, he's completely unqualified and driven by self-interest.

Fang Hong's words were quite harsh criticism, and he even named names directly.

Even the unspoken rules were mentioned: using one's influence to pave the way for one's son, even if the son makes mistakes.

Even Liu Tianxian couldn't help but glance at him, as this was going to erase a part of Hendrik Willem Van Loon's "divinity".

It's really not a good thing to mythologize someone too much.

"Would you cooperate with him?" the reporter asked.

"Of course not, Yutu will never associate with celebrities with bad reputations, including those who protect them," Fang Hong said directly.

Hendrik Willem Van Loon went to great lengths for his son in this matter, and even incurred a debt of gratitude.

This favor was repaid with two terrible movies, "Bleeding Steel" and "The Knight of Shadows: Between Yin and Yang".

The director of "Bleeding Steel" was the one who advised Hendrik Willem Van Loon on how to circumvent censorship, how to rename and place the young actor behind the scenes, and even directed him in the film.

There's a movie called "Beijing 9 to 5," which he directed. His name was on the small house, similar to how Fang Hong initially directed for Wang Lao Er.

The film also features cameo appearances by well-known figures in the Hong Kong entertainment industry, such as Hendrik Willem Van Loon, Patrick Tse, and Tsang Yi-chi, making it a truly star-studded production.

Unexpectedly, something happened to the little house, so naturally the movie couldn't be released due to restrictions imposed by higher authorities.

But after the film "Little House" was released, the director of the film handed over the reins to Little House without hesitation, after directing for three years, and renamed it "Love in Beijing" in an attempt to circumvent censorship.

Hendrik Willem Van Loon also lobbied on all fronts, and Hong Kong's bigwigs naturally rallied to his aid. But the authorities weren't fools; this was clearly related to the "little house" (referring to a specific type of house), so they directly banned it.

There was no other way but to change the title to "We Once Loved Each Other" again, completely severing ties with the previous title, and erasing all cameos by Hendrik Willem Van Loon, Tsang the Shorty, and Xie the Bitch.

Afterwards, an assistant director named "Zhang Xiaolei" was promoted to director, and through a series of maneuvers, the censorship was circumvented.

Given such a favor, how could Hendrik Willem Van Loon not repay it?

This person, simply because his father is named Hendrik Willem Van Loon, has been meticulously plotted by all sides to help him outmaneuver those in power and clear his name.

Should such circles be regulated? Everyone has selfish desires, no matter how noble they are.

Some netizens even said, "Everyone makes mistakes, so we should give him a chance."

Holy crap! Who's going to give the border anti-drug police a chance? You know, once this loophole is opened, it's like tearing open a rift. Shouldn't other people who have made mistakes be given a break?
Knowing full well that it was wrong, despite repeated warnings, he still did it; he can only blame himself for not being able to control himself.

Just because you have connections or your dad is powerful doesn't mean you're right.

These words excited the reporters. As expected, the principal was very outspoken; it was big news. The reporters scrambled to grab the microphones and ask, "So what do you think of the recent uproar about the 'I like' incident?"

"This is an insult to the audience's aesthetic sense, an extreme insult," Fang Hong said.

"So, Principal, you don't like this movie either, right?" the reporter asked.

"If you don't like it, it's bad. Don't try to cover it up with some kind of artistic exploration. According to them, if everyone makes a bad film, they should all say that they made an art film."

I think I'm still a normal person, with normal aesthetic sense. Fang Hong's words mean that all seventy-odd celebrities in the film and television industry are crazy and mentally unstable.

Especially Wong Kar-wai, he makes bad films into art, since any bad movie can be called art.

The principal is really outspoken, completely disregarding those people. The reporter turned to Liu Tianxian and asked, "Tianxian, what do you think?"

"I think every director has their own artistic expression, and whether or not you accept it is a matter of personal opinion," Liu Tianxian said in a rather diplomatic way.

"So you like Wong Kar-wai's movie?" the reporter pressed, not giving her a chance to smooth things over.

"I watch every one of his movies." Liu Tianxian's answer was ambiguous again.

"Are you trying to say that you like the play 'The Ferryman'?" the reporter pressed.

Her answer wasn't as straightforward as the principal's.

"Hey, don't be so aggressive. I just appreciate it. Appreciation is different from liking. After all, Wong Kar-wai has made a lot of great works." Liu Tianxian said helplessly.

It's true, people always have to be so direct.

"That"

"Let's ask someone else, let's skip this topic," Fang Hong interrupted directly, telling them not to dwell on this issue.

“We’ve seen reports recently, including one in the United Daily News, saying that the Macau Film Festival is an extremely unprofessional award. What do you think?” the reporter asked.

"The Macao Film Festival doesn't need anyone's approval or judgment. I can say this: apart from the audience, no one is qualified to judge it, including me." Fang Hong said this arrogantly.

United Daily News is a newspaper from the island of Frog Island.

While they were conducting their interview, other big names in the film and television industry, such as the "Big Wang" and "Little Wang" of Huayi Brothers and Fatty Yu, were also being interviewed by reporters.

When asked by reporters about his thoughts on "Operation Mekong" being the opening film, Yu Pangzi was asked to speak.

"It's an honor that 'Operation Mekong' can be presented as the opening film at such a grand film festival," said Yu Jianhua. "What do you have to say about Bona Film Group's IPO being rejected?" the reporter pressed.

"Focus on making movies honestly. Making good movies is the most important thing. Just like the principal said, we live in an era where content is king, and capital can only play a supporting role." Fatty Yu was still quite disappointed.

But that's all he could say; he couldn't complain.

The Macau Film Festival was a lively and star-studded event, with many celebrities, directors, and film industry heavyweights making appearances.

Douyin also exclusively live-streamed the entire event, with a peak of 5 million concurrent viewers and over 100 million views, accompanied by a dense barrage of comments.

Some celebrities, such as Andy Lau and Zhao Liying, had their names appearing frequently in the live chat.

Some of Fang Hong's words also trended on social media, especially those few sentences.

#Extremely disappointed with Van Loon#
#Celebrities who strongly support "The Ferryman" are abnormal#
These two trending topics resonated with netizens and made them feel great, with many praising the principal.

"A single sentence from the principal is worth a billion, and two sentences could be worth two billion!"

"I can see that only Principal is a normal person in the entire entertainment industry; everyone else is a lunatic. They even managed to hype up 'The Ferryman' as a masterpiece."

"Yes, the principal is right. Henrik Willem Van Loon is very self-serving. He always talks about how patriotic he is, but when his own son makes a mistake, he still breaks the rules."

"The principal has the most upright values!"

"I used to think the principal was not good enough for the angel, but now I think the angel is not good enough for the principal."

"That's going too far! The principal can't afford to be flattered like that!"

"Everyone, I'm ugly, but don't I look artistic? Hahaha!"

Online discussions are raging, with netizens engaging in lively debates, and some even making jokes, saying that being ugly is also a form of art.

But those celebrities and directors remained silent when they were criticized, refusing to express their opinions.

Even though many of them were attending the Macau Film Festival, they could only suppress their displeasure and dared not show the slightest displeasure.

If Wang Chuanjun speaks out, they can use their influence to blacklist him; he really hasn't had many acting opportunities or resources in the past two years.

But if the principal calls them trash, then you really have to put up with it, even if you can't help it.

The banquet hall of the Macau Film Festival has a dome resembling a starry sky, with rows of seats arranged in a tiered pattern below. From above, it looks like it's filled with heads, and many people from the film industry are already seated.

Some people were whispering to each other, while others were looking straight ahead. Fang Hong and Liu Tianxian were in the front row, sitting with celebrities such as Chief Cui, Director Tan, and Councilor He.

In addition, there are the four major families in Macau: the Ho family, the Ma family, the Leung family, and the Choi family.

These are all celebrities that you can see in the news.

After a beautiful song and dance performance, Sa Beining, wearing a suit and tie, took the microphone and went on stage with his signature smile.

"Hello everyone, I'm the host, Sa Beining. I remember the previous two sessions were hosted by Cui Yongyuan and Ni Ping respectively. This time it's finally my turn!" Sa Beining said humorously.

The audience members couldn't help but chuckle.

"To be honest, I'm very confused. The previous two hosts were so good, but when it was my turn, I felt pressured. I asked the organizing committee, 'Why did you invite me to host? I don't have their sharp tongue or their eloquence.'"

The production team said they needed a host with charisma.

At this point, Sa Beining couldn't help but chuckle to himself.

That's just how he is; he doesn't have Cui Yongyuan's composure. While Cui Yongyuan makes jokes and banter, he never laughs.

Laughter erupted from the audience, even louder than before.

"This kind of temperament has to match the temperament of the film festival, and one of the most important temperaments of this film festival is to be wild, but I am a CCTV host, so it is not convenient for me to be wild on stage."

But they said, "Your surname is Sa." That's quite a strange connection. In all my life, this is the first time I've realized that my surname is so unrestrained and wild.

Um...when I arrived, there were no cue cards, no script, no set agenda. They said, "You can do whatever you want." I told them I couldn't be a host; as a host, I need a general outline, someone who knows what I'm going to say. But they said…

At this point, Sa Beining pursed his lips and suddenly became serious: "This stage has been handed over to all filmmakers from the very beginning, so what I need to do is to introduce all the most distinguished guests of our film festival to everyone in the most grand manner from the outset."

At this point, enthusiastic applause erupted from the audience.

"Now, let's invite the principal to give a speech and say a few words," Sa Beining invited.

Upon hearing this, everyone present turned their gaze to the figure who had stood up in front.

"The moment the principal stood up, all the filmmakers in the entire hall stared at him. Was it because the principal was handsome?" Sa Beining joked.

This both acknowledges Fang Hong's significant influence in the industry and praises his good looks.

Laughter and applause erupted from the audience, and Liu Tianxian smiled and clapped along from below the stage.

“They’re just being polite. They’ll give a look to anyone who comes on this stage, not just me. For example, I’ve been watching you, Xiao Sa, for a long time,” Fang Hong said as he went on stage and picked up the microphone.

Xiao Sa smiled and waited for the principal to finish speaking.

"No matter how good-looking a person is, it's just their appearance. When judging a person, you should pay attention to their inner beauty. For example, you can pay more attention to my inner beauty," Fang Hong added.

"I know the principal is face-blind; he can't see people's outward appearance, only their inner qualities," Sa Beining joked.

This is from when someone asked Fang Hong if Liu Tianxian was pretty. He said he didn't know if she was pretty or not because he was face-blind.

"Yes, before I developed face blindness, you were a young and handsome man when I saw you!" Fang Hong exclaimed.

"Hahaha!" Applause erupted, and the atmosphere became lively.

Sa Beining also laughed heartily, implying that he was getting old.

The principal is quite eloquent; of course, Sa Beining is no less so, and the two can exchange a few words.

Viewers watching the live stream were simply enjoying the spectacle.

Sa Beining then stepped down from the stage, leaving the stage to the principal so he could give a speech.

"Distinguished leaders, fellow film and television professionals, and fellow filmmakers, thank you for attending this Macau Film Festival Awards Ceremony."

This is the eighth film festival in history. We have come a long way from nothing to something, from depression to prosperity, and have gone through eight years.

There have been obstacles, doubts, and misunderstandings along the way, but we have persevered and overcome them all. These eight years have also witnessed the prosperity of the film and television market.

The transformation from hundreds of millions to billions of dollars for a single film.

(End of this chapter)